A man passed out in a running car at a Foxhome gas station fled from deputies at high speed, crashed into a ditch and tried to hide in a corn field before being arrested, according to the complaint.
Marty Lee MacConnell, of Pelican Rapids, faces seven charges: fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, fleeing a peace officer by a means other than a motor vehicle, second-degree driving while impaired, driving after cancellation, reckless driving, speeding and failing to provide proof of insurance.
According to the complaint, a deputy was dispatched at about 4:20 a.m. on October 19 after an anonymous caller reported a red sedan swerving in traffic and parking partially in the roadway at a gas station in Foxhome. The deputy found a maroon Toyota Camry parked as described, with MacConnell slumped over and passed out in the driver’s seat while the vehicle was still running.
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The deputy knocked on the window several times before MacConnell woke up. The complaint says MacConnell appeared extremely confused, had slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. He did not know he was in Foxhome. After stepping out of the vehicle, MacConnell was unsteady on his feet and admitted to drinking beer and vodka a few hours earlier.
The deputy instructed MacConnell to wait behind his vehicle while the deputy returned to his squad car. Before the deputy could run MacConnell’s information, MacConnell got back into his car and fled. The deputy activated emergency lights and pursued, reaching speeds of 80. MacConnell drove off the road and into a plowed field, eventually crashing into a culvert in a ditch.
When the deputy reached the crashed vehicle, it was unoccupied. The complaint states MacConnell had left the vehicle and could not be found in the immediate area. Another deputy arrived and spotted a figure on the road, whom the first deputy recognized as MacConnell. MacConnell was informed he was under arrest. He said he hit his head on the steering wheel but declined medical attention.
MacConnell was placed in a squad car and read his Miranda rights, which he said he understood. He told deputies he was scared because every time he comes into contact with law enforcement, he goes to jail. MacConnell admitted his actions were dumb and said that was why he came out from hiding in the corn field. The complaint says his speech remained slurred and the odor of alcohol was strong.
A search warrant for MacConnell’s blood was granted and two vials were drawn at the hospital. The complaint states MacConnell’s driving privileges were revoked and he did not have proof of insurance.
According to the complaint, MacConnell was previously convicted of DUI in 2018 in Corson County and of second-degree DUI in 2020 in Yellow Medicine County.
The charges were filed October 20 in Wilkin County District Court.
